It is getting energy, but not charging properly. I believe this is because pin 2 and 3 should be open.

It is not charging because it is not getting enough current. Some devices, e.g., Blackberries, need circa 700ma, but one USB port supplies only 450ma. You need a cable which "combines" the current from two USB ports, such as:

These cables are useless - modern USB ports in computer can deliver uasily 1.5A but you have to tell your device to draw more current. For example HTC cellphones detects AC charger by shorting data pins. From PC it charges only 400mA, from AC charger 700mA. I made myself two USB ports (male+female) connected together and on female side it has those data pins shorted - so now the cell phone thinks it charges from AC

These cables are useless - modern USB ports in computer can deliver uasily 1.5A but you have to tell your device to draw more current. For example HTC cellphones detects AC charger by shorting data pins. From PC it charges only 400mA, from AC charger 700mA. I made myself two USB ports (male+female) connected together and on female side it has those data pins shorted - so now the cell phone thinks it charges from AC

You are correct. Use two USB ports to delivery power, and the issue will be solved.

IFF (if and only if) using power from two USB ports does not charge the phone, then you can experiment with cutting the wires in the cable that go to pins 2/3, etc. ... but first, use a cable that takes power from two USB ports.

Note: An X220 USB port is unlikely to deliver anything like the 1.5A mentioned by somebody above, so "playing" with pins 2/3 of he cable is unlikely to help your cause ... but still, check the specs on the X220's USB ports ... perhaps they can deliver more than 450ma ...

Yes, but let's clarify -- 1.5A on the one optional USB 3 port; not on any USB 2 port.

We don't know that the OP in this thread has that blue USB 3.0 port, and chances are that he does not ... because he would have tried it if he had it, and would have been pleased to discover that it delivered the current he needed.

Come on, I have my x220i WITH USB2!!!! And I was drawing 1.5A from it. Even my older x200 can deliver 1.5A from USB port. I have powerbank (external battery for my cell phone) which draws 1.5A and it charges fine.Trust me, I measured it.(of course drawing 1.5A from all three ports at the same time doesn't look like a good idea because it could overload 5V power rail in laptop but 1.5A draw is fine.)I might make some video if you don't believe me